Maibarara-2 geothermal facility adds 12 MW to Luzon Grid

Government getting private sector help for LNG Facility project

The Maibarara Geothermal Inc. (MGI) has connected its Maibarara-2 geothermal power plant to the Luzon Grid, giving the grid an additional 12-megawatt (MW) power supply.

The said power plant was synchronized to the Luzon Grid on March 9 and is set to undergo commissioning and testing in order to secure a certificate of compliance (COC) from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), MGO power plant manager Elmer Morala said.

“Maibarara-2 was put online at 12:04 pm on March 9, marking as well its first export of power to the Luzon grid. After its synchronization to the grid, the M2 unit is currently undergoing a series of capability and reliability tests,” he said.

MGI president Francisco Delfin Jr. said that the Maibarara-2 is the first geothermal facility established under the Duterte administration and the only geothermal plant installed in the Philippines since 2014.

“This capacity expansion will also provide additional royalties and taxes to the national and host local governments,” he said.

The geothermal facility – located in Sto. Tomas, Batangas – is the second unit of MGI, a joint venture of PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC), Phinma Energy Corp., and PNOC Renewables Corp. (PNOC-RC)